Edward, Elmhurst earn national honors for knee/hip replacement

As part of its Blue Distinction Specialty Care program, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois has selected Edward Hospital in Naperville as a Blue Distinction Center+ for Knee and Hip Replacement and Elmhurst Hospital as a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement.

The Blue Distinction Center designations signify that the knee and hip replacement programs at Edward and Elmhurst Hospitals meet nationally established selection criteria by demonstrating expertise in delivering quality specialty care, safely and effectively.

Hospitals designated as Blue Distinction Centers for Knee and Hip Replacement demonstrate expertise in total knee and total hip replacement surgeries, resulting in fewer patient complications and hospital readmissions. Designated hospitals must also maintain national accreditation.

In addition, hospitals designated as Blue Distinction Centers+ are, on average, 20 percent more cost-efficient in an episode of care compared to other hospitals.

Knee and hip replacement procedures are among the fastest growing medical treatments in the U.S., according to studies published in the June 2014 Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

For more information about knee and hip replacement procedures at Edward and Elmhurst Hospitals, visit www.eehealth.org/services/orthopedics.